While trying to return umpteen decades back to the first years of my long life, I discovered glimpses of memories that have been deeply impressed on my mind.
I was born in India, of Greek parentage and I consider myself very fortunate as I had loving parents and a very happy childhood.
Every two and a half years we used to go on home leave, so each time, we bordered either an Anchor Line or a Peninsular and Oriental (P & O) vessel and sailed for Greece.
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| Anchor Line RMS Cilicia |
To return to the theme of this post, my very first memory is me bending over, trying to wear my pink ballet shoes and my mother’s voice saying from the background: “Go to Nona (grandmother), she wants to see your dress”. This took place in Cephalonia, during our home leave, several months before my third birthday.
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| I, Dressed as a Victorian Girl |
Another image that I remember vividly was my beautiful mother, sitting at her dressing table, her hair gleaming in the sunlight.
In our garden, in Karachi, I remember the horror and pain I felt when a "huge" ant bit my finger. The poor little creature must have been terrified of this gigantic being that was apparently trying to hurt it. This is yet another unconnected memory, an image, a glimpse, without beginning or end.
I have very tender recollections of my nursery school, all my dear friends and the wonderful birthday parties, that we all so enjoyed. I also reminisce about the sheer delight I felt while swimming and splashing in the sea at Sandspit and Hawksbay, the lovely sandy beaches near Karachi, on the Arabian Sea.
On the other hand, I remember, when I was sick with diphtheria, the terror I used to feel each time the doctor came to inject me in the tummy with a huge needle. I used to beseech him, sobbing "Please, don't, I have been a very good girl today," After the ordeal, he always very kindly offered me a tiny bunch of violets.
Home leave was the great event that, as a family, we so looked forward to and planned, for almost a year ahead. I was just under five, during a voyage, when I nearly drowned in the ship's swimming pool and my dear father jumped in to save me. During the same voyage, I ensconced myself behind an armchair with a book and was lost for hours. My parents nearly went berserk with anxiety.
When we arrived in Greece, we stayed at Ellinikon which was near a girls' school that my parents intended me to attend, on our next trip when my Mother and I would be settling down in Greece, as planned.
We went to Loutraki, a popular spa near Corinth and of course to Cephalonia, our home island, where we saw my beloved grandmother Sophia, my uncles, aunts and cousins. I was much younger than my cousins but I especially loved visiting Ioanna Papas, her husband Vassilis, their baby daughter Dia and her sister Aliki because it was a house full of fun, laughter and good vibrations. I, also, loved cycling with my cousin, Angela Becatoros, who was charming and amiable and told me, eloquently, the most fascinating of fairy tales. It was like a performance!
That year, my parents bought a spacious house in Argostoli with a beautiful garden, made all the necessary alterations and installed central heating. My cousin Angela and her husband Gerasimos stayed in our new house, while we were living in India.
When our home leave ended, we returned to Karachi and continued our life. My dear father worked at Ralli Brothers, my mum, besides being a wonderful wife, mother and hostess, played mahjong and went to coffee mornings with her girlfriends. I attended Mrs Walton's kindergarten school in the morning and thoroughly enjoyed playing with my best friends during the afternoon. Needless to say, that all year around I eagerly looked forward to the Christmas and Easter celebrations and my birthday. It was a very happy period of my childhood, I felt content and protected.
Unfortunately, on the 1st September 1939, World War II broke out, the cause being the German invasion of Poland. Two days later, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany, which is still considered "the deadliest conflict in human history". Although I was very young, I had a smouldering feeling of anxiety that my parents and their friends were extremely worried and concerned about this very disturbing information.
In our garden, in Karachi, I remember the horror and pain I felt when a "huge" ant bit my finger. The poor little creature must have been terrified of this gigantic being that was apparently trying to hurt it. This is yet another unconnected memory, an image, a glimpse, without beginning or end.
I have very tender recollections of my nursery school, all my dear friends and the wonderful birthday parties, that we all so enjoyed. I also reminisce about the sheer delight I felt while swimming and splashing in the sea at Sandspit and Hawksbay, the lovely sandy beaches near Karachi, on the Arabian Sea.
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| Sandspit Beach |
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| Hawksbay |
On the other hand, I remember, when I was sick with diphtheria, the terror I used to feel each time the doctor came to inject me in the tummy with a huge needle. I used to beseech him, sobbing "Please, don't, I have been a very good girl today," After the ordeal, he always very kindly offered me a tiny bunch of violets.
Home leave was the great event that, as a family, we so looked forward to and planned, for almost a year ahead. I was just under five, during a voyage, when I nearly drowned in the ship's swimming pool and my dear father jumped in to save me. During the same voyage, I ensconced myself behind an armchair with a book and was lost for hours. My parents nearly went berserk with anxiety.
When we arrived in Greece, we stayed at Ellinikon which was near a girls' school that my parents intended me to attend, on our next trip when my Mother and I would be settling down in Greece, as planned.
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| Pierce American College, Hellinikon |
We went to Loutraki, a popular spa near Corinth and of course to Cephalonia, our home island, where we saw my beloved grandmother Sophia, my uncles, aunts and cousins. I was much younger than my cousins but I especially loved visiting Ioanna Papas, her husband Vassilis, their baby daughter Dia and her sister Aliki because it was a house full of fun, laughter and good vibrations. I, also, loved cycling with my cousin, Angela Becatoros, who was charming and amiable and told me, eloquently, the most fascinating of fairy tales. It was like a performance!
That year, my parents bought a spacious house in Argostoli with a beautiful garden, made all the necessary alterations and installed central heating. My cousin Angela and her husband Gerasimos stayed in our new house, while we were living in India.
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| A Vintage Photo of Loutraki |
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| Argostoli Today |
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| Argostoli From A Different Perspective |
When our home leave ended, we returned to Karachi and continued our life. My dear father worked at Ralli Brothers, my mum, besides being a wonderful wife, mother and hostess, played mahjong and went to coffee mornings with her girlfriends. I attended Mrs Walton's kindergarten school in the morning and thoroughly enjoyed playing with my best friends during the afternoon. Needless to say, that all year around I eagerly looked forward to the Christmas and Easter celebrations and my birthday. It was a very happy period of my childhood, I felt content and protected.
Unfortunately, on the 1st September 1939, World War II broke out, the cause being the German invasion of Poland. Two days later, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany, which is still considered "the deadliest conflict in human history". Although I was very young, I had a smouldering feeling of anxiety that my parents and their friends were extremely worried and concerned about this very disturbing information.
When the time arrived for our next home leave, we went to Greece in late February 1940 and we should be returning to India by November of the same year. Apparently, almost everyone in Greece was living in a fool’s paradise because they believed that our country couldn't possibly be attacked by the Germans or the Italians. This was most improbable, and any possible problems could be solved through diplomatic channels, they hoped. Wishful thinking...
On the 28th October 1940, Mussolini issued an ultimatum to Greece, demanding the cession of Greek territory, which the Greek Prime Minister Metaxas rejected. “Alors, c’est la guerre”, he told the Italian Ambassador Grazzi, who had conveyed the message.
The Italian army invaded Greece, on the 28th October 1940, before the Italian ultimatum had expired, but they were stopped by the unexpectedly persistent resistance of the Greek army. "The Italian army failed to achieve its objectives and lost prestige in this war." As the Greek independence and national sovereignty were at stake, the Greeks were determined to drive the invaders outside the borderline. In contrast, the Italians fought because "the Mussolini regime sent them to fight a war of aggression. Needless to say, that the average Italian soldier saw no reason, at all, to go and die while conquering Greece." According to Mark Mazower, "it was the first Axis setback of the entire war".
It was an ugly war, fought in atrocious weather conditions, in a very difficult terrain.*
Evidently, we stayed in Cephalonia during the war and the occupation from 1940 to 1945. It was a very difficult period for all the European countries that were occupied by the Axis. We were deprived of our liberty, our dignity and our pride. Our currency, the drachma, was being constantly devalued, for instance, one could buy a pound of tomatoes for 1.000.000 drachmas! Most of us were extremely poor. Moreover, there was a very serious food shortage in Greece. During the bitterly cold winter of 1941, most Greek citizens were undernourished and many people died of famine in Athens and in other cities all over the country. It was slightly better in the countryside and the islands where one could survive by planting pulses, potatoes and other vegetables. But unfortunately, nearly no meat or poultry could be found as most of it was confiscated to feed the enemy forces. My resourceful compatriots prepared a rather delicious dark syrup with currents, called “stafidini”, to replace sugar, which had also completely disappeared from the shelves during the occupation. As for bread, it was made with broad bean flour or cornmeal which was, then, considered a delicacy, if one could find it.
Incidentally, our house was requisitioned first by the Italians and later by the Germans so we lived in a flat that a good friend provided for us, desperately trying to make ends meet.
Evidently, we stayed in Cephalonia during the war and the occupation from 1940 to 1945. It was a very difficult period for all the European countries that were occupied by the Axis. We were deprived of our liberty, our dignity and our pride. Our currency, the drachma, was being constantly devalued, for instance, one could buy a pound of tomatoes for 1.000.000 drachmas! Most of us were extremely poor. Moreover, there was a very serious food shortage in Greece. During the bitterly cold winter of 1941, most Greek citizens were undernourished and many people died of famine in Athens and in other cities all over the country. It was slightly better in the countryside and the islands where one could survive by planting pulses, potatoes and other vegetables. But unfortunately, nearly no meat or poultry could be found as most of it was confiscated to feed the enemy forces. My resourceful compatriots prepared a rather delicious dark syrup with currents, called “stafidini”, to replace sugar, which had also completely disappeared from the shelves during the occupation. As for bread, it was made with broad bean flour or cornmeal which was, then, considered a delicacy, if one could find it.
Incidentally, our house was requisitioned first by the Italians and later by the Germans so we lived in a flat that a good friend provided for us, desperately trying to make ends meet.
*(I sincerely thank Mr Apostolos Marinopoulos, Mr Mark Mazover and Wikipedia for the valuable information for this post)
I shall give you below several recipes of dishes that young children enjoy eating.
CARROT SOUP
Do start a celebration dinner with this wonderful soup!
1 kg carrots, peeled and roughly sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
2 leeks, white parts only, sliced
1 onion, peeled chopped
2 stalks celery, trimmed, threaded and thinly sliced
1 bouquet garni, (1 slice ginger, peeled +1 tsp coriander seeds, slightly crushed + 1 thyme sprig)
1½ litre (6 cups) tasty chicken stock
60 g (2 oz) bland kasseri or Gouda or bland Cheddar
2 tbsp San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 liqueur glass Metaxa brandy, optional
125 ml (½ cup) thick cream or whipped yoghurt
Place all the vegetables in a large saucepan, pour in enough water to just cover, place in the spice-pouch cover and cook gently, until tender.
Remove the bouquet, and blend the vegetables until smooth. Pour in the chicken stock sprinkle with freshly ground white pepper and a little nutmeg. Simmer gently until the soup thickens. Stir in the cheese, taste and season with salt and extra pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.
Bring the soup to the boil and pour in the brandy, if using, and let it simmer for a little until the alcohol evaporates. Serve drizzled with thick cream or yoghurt.
CHEESE PUFFS
This recipe is prepared with choux dough. The puffs can be served hot or at room temperature.
250 ml (1cup) water
100 g (1/2 cup) butter
A pinch of salt
150 g (1 cup + 2 scant tbsp) flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
120 g (4 oz) San Mihalis or Parmesan or mature Cheddar grated
Bring water, butter and salt to the boiling point. Add the flour all at once and cook, stirring vigorously until the dough forms a ball around the spoon. Remove from the fire and set aside to cool.
Sprinkle the dough with baking powder and stir well. Then add the eggs, one at a time, making sure that each egg has been well incorporated into the batter before adding the next. Finally, add the cheese and mix together thoroughly.
With a piping bag or with the help of 2 wet coffee spoons, place small mounds of the mixture on a baking tin, lined with baking parchment, 3.75 cm (1½ inches) apart.
Bake in a hot oven preheated to 200 C (400 F) for the first 10 minutes or until puffed, and then reduce the heat to 180 C (350 F), or even lower and continue baking for the next 10-12 minutes. Serve the cheese-puffs, immediately, or place them on a rack to cool.
CHEESE PIE
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| Individual Cheese Pies |
Cheese pies are very popular all over Greece. I very often prepare individual cheese pies with ready-made puff pastry rounds and the same filling.
Pastry:
150 g (5 oz) wholemeal flour
150 g (5 oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
¼ tsp mustard powder
150 g (5 oz) butter cubed
1 egg
Just enough water to form a soft, pliable dough
2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs for sprinkling over the pastry before adding the filling
Filling
500 g (1 lb) feta cheese, soaked in water for 5-10 minutes if salty
250 g (½ lb) anthotyro or ricotta cheese
2-3 tbsp kephalotyri or Parmesan or Cheddar, grated
1 large onion, peeled and finely grated
4 eggs
200 g (1 small tub) strained Greek yoghurt or
1 cup béchamel sauce
Salt if necessary, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper
Sesame seeds
Sesame seeds
First, prepare the pastry. Blend the two flours with the mustard powder and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and very little water until the dough forms a ball around the hook. Cover and refrigerate for ½ an hour at least.
In a large bowl, crumble the feta and anthotyro and stir in the grated cheese and onion. Beat the eggs with the yoghurt, nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper, add to the cheese mixture and stir until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Cut the pastry in half and roll out two thin pastry sheets. Line a buttered baking tin with one of the sheets and sprinkle evenly with the dried breadcrumbs. Spoon the filling carefully over, cover with the remaining pastry
CHICKEN WITH RICE
This dish is very popular with children and grown-ups alike.
1½ kg (3 lb) chicken, skinned
1 onion, peeled and studded with 2 cloves
2 tender celery stalks with leaves, trimmed
2 carrots, scraped and sliced
1 lemon slice
1 bay leaf
1 sliced fresh ginger, peeled
Salt
5-6 peppercorns
Rice
1-2 tbsp butter
1 small onion grated
450 (2 cups) long grain rice
About 83 ml (1/3 cup) white wine
750 ml (3 cups) hot chicken stock, or more
Sauce
4 tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
1 bay leaf
4 heaped tbsp cornflour
750 ml (3 cups) or more warm chicken stock
2 egg yolks, whipped with
3-4 tbsp cream
A pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp lemon juice or according to taste
Grated Parmesan or any other hard cheese of your choice for serving
Cover the chicken with salted water, bring to the boil and skim well. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for about 1-1 ½ hours until the chicken is tender. Remove from the fire and cool. Remove the bones from the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces, strain and de-grease the stock and set aside.
Prepare the rice. Sauté the onion in butter, over low heat, stirring, until limp. Add the rice and stir and cook for 2 minutes more. Pour in the wine and cook until the wine evaporates, then add the chicken stock and simmer very gently, adding more stock if necessary, until the rice is tender.
For the sauce, melt the butter, add the bay leaf and the cornflour and stir for 2-3 minutes, over low heat. Add the warm stock in portions, and each time whisk the sauce until the sauce has thickened. Add the nutmeg, correct the seasoning and add more hot stock, if necessary, and barely simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, and remove the saucepan from the fire.
Mix the beaten egg yolks with the cream. Stir a ladleful of sauce into the egg mixture, and very carefully, stir it back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. discard the bay leaf, sprinkle with lemon juice and simmer, stirring constantly. Do not boil.
Arrange the chicken pieces in a heated serving dish, over a bed of rice. You could alternately place half the rice in a cake tin, cover with the chicken, drizzle with half the sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese. Then add the remaining rice, and overturn it on a hot round platter. Serve with the remaining sauce, and extra grated cheese.
SPAGHETTI WITH MINCED BEEF SAUCE
Children simply love this dish.
500 g (1 lb) spaghetti, boiled al dente in salted water and drizzled with 2 tbsp olive oil
Minced Beef Sauce:
1 kg (2 lb) minced beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely grated
4 rashers of lean bacon, fat discarded, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
80 ml (1/3 cup) brandy
250 ml (1 cup) white wine
3-4 ripe tomatoes, halved, deseeded and grated, skins discarded
1 tsp sugar or more
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup parsley chopped, optional
Grated kefalotyri or pekorino or Parmesan
Sauté the onions, carrots and bacon in olive oil until the onions are transparent. Add the ground beef and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring until well browned. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, nutmeg and Cayenne pepper (if using), add the brandy and stir well for a moment or two. Pour in the wine and cook 5 minutes more until the alcohol evaporates. Then add the grated tomatoes, sugar and enough hot water to barely cover. Simmer until the meat is cooked, about 30 minutes, Taste and add salt, pepper and sugar if necessary, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and reserve.
Serve the spaghetti covered with the minced beef sauce, and sprinkled with grated cheese.
BLANQUETTE DE VEAU A L’ANCIENNE
This is an old-fashioned stew, a traditional French dish, which is very popular with all ages. Start preparing this dish one day before you need it.
1½ kg (3 lb) boneless veal breast or shoulder, cut in 5 cm (2-inch) cubes
Water
1½ litre (6 cups) chicken stock
2 carrots, scraped and cut in pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and stuck with
2 cloves
2 tender celery tops, trimmed
1 leek, white part only, trimmed and chopped
1 bouquet garni (3 parsley sprigs + 1 bay leaf +1 sprig thyme)
1 tsp salt
75 g (2½ oz) butter at room temperature
24 baby onions, peeled
a little salt, if necessary
500 g (1 lb) small white mushrooms, champignons de Paris, trimmed
1 tbsp lemon juice
60 g (2 oz) plain flour
2-3 egg yolks
200 ml (4/5 cups) thick cream
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Blanch the meat by placing it in cold water and bringing it to a brisk boil for 2 minutes. Strain the meat immediately, wash away the scum and place it in a clean saucepan.
Cover the meat with 1¼ litre (5 cups) of chicken stock and add the carrots, onions, celery tops, bouquet garni and salt. Bring to a moderate boil, skimming if necessary. Lower the heat and simmer the meat for 1-1½ hours until it is tender.
Meanwhile, place the baby onions, 15g (½ oz) butter, a little salt and the remaining stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring once or twice until the onions are tender. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the mushrooms and the lemon juice to the saucepan, simmer for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to the bowl with the baby onions. And pour the stock into the saucepan with the meat.
When the veal is tender, remove it to a bowl and strain the stock, pressing the vegetables and bouquet with the back of a spoon to extract as much taste as possible. Strain the stock, once more, through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and refrigerate it for at least one hour. Remove the solid fat from the surface of the stock, and boil and reduce it by half.
Melt the remaining butter and sift the flour over, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Do not let it brown. Remove from the heat, pour in the reduced stock and whip vigorously until well combined. Return to the stove and simmer gently, stirring constantly for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens, skimming if necessary. It should have the consistency of a velouté soup.
One hour before serving, heat the meat and the vegetables in a casserole. Bring the sauce to the simmering point. Beat the egg yolks with cream until very well combined. Stir 2-3 tbsp hot sauce into the egg mixture, and repeat once more. Then reverse the process and whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan and bring it to a bare simmer but do not boil. Taste and add salt, freshly ground pepper if necessary. Pour the sauce over the meat and the vegetables, in the casserole and heat gently for 5-10 minutes. Serve the blanquette sprinkled with chopped parsley.
CREAMY AU GRATIN POTATOES
This is certainly my favourite potato dish. Traditionally this dish is prepared with raw potatoes, sliced with a mandolin. I boil them to save time.
1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, boiled in salted water with
A twig of sage and
1 chopped garlic clove
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half
A knob of butter, for greasing the baking dish
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Freshly ground white pepper
1 heaped teaspoon fresh, chopped thyme, leaves only
300 g (10 oz) kasseri or graviera from Crete or Gruyere or Cheddar, grated
3 tbsp San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated
250 ml (1 cup) full milk mixed with
250 ml (1 cup) thick cream
Season with a pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Rub the base and sides of the baking dish with garlic and brush it, lavishly, with butter.
Peel and slice the potatoes and place them in the baking dish in a row, slightly overlapping each other. Sprinkle the first layer of potatoes with 1/2 of the grated softer cheese and season with grated nutmeg, freshly ground white pepper and thyme. Place another layer of boiled potatoes over the cheese and repeat the same procedure with the cheese and spices and thyme. Sprinkle the last layer of potatoes with grated San Mihalis or Parmesan and pour the milk/cream mixture evenly over.
Clean the sides of the baking dish with a damp cloth, if necessary, and bake for 30 - 35 minutes until the top is slightly golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.
CHOCOLATE ROLL FILLED WITH CHESNUT AND WHIPPED CREAM
This is a very popular Christmas dessert.
Chocolate roll:
5 medium-sized eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff with a pinch of salt
5 tbsp sugar
Vanilla
4 heaped tbsp self-raising flour sifted with
1 heaped tbsp cocoa
9 tbsp water mixed with
1 tbsp Jamaican rum
Fillings:
1st Sweet chestnut cream
6 chestnuts in rum and syrup (please see recipe below)*, blended with
2 heaped tbsp whipped cream, until spreadable
2nd 500 ml (2 cups) double cream, whipped with
2 tbsp icing sugar
Extra icing sugar for dusting over the roll or
Dark chocolate ganache, to cover
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
Whip the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla until light and doubled in bulk. Sift the flour/cocoa mixture over the yolks, in three portions, alternately with the water and Jamaican rum. Mix very well, after each addition, before adding the next. Finally, gently fold in the whipped egg whites, until no traces of white are visible, pour evenly into a Swiss roll tin lined with buttered baking parchment and bake for 15–20 minutes and remove from the oven.
Peel off the baking parchment from the cake, cover with a clean sheet of a parchment and roll up like a Swiss roll, until it is cold. Un-roll cake and spread it first, with the chestnut filling, then cover with 3-4 tbsp whipped cream, gently roll it up again, cover with baking parchment and refrigerate.
One hour before serving, remove the dessert from the fridge, discard the baking parchment and sprinkle with icing sugar or cover with ganache*. (Please see recipe below). Serve with the remaining whipped cream.
*Ganache:
- Heat 250 ml (1 cup) full cream and pour over
- 250 g (½ lb) dark chocolate, finely chopped and
- 1-2 tsp honey. Stir with a hand blender until smooth and glossy.
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| Christmas Flowers |
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